Meant to Be
by dreamzofhope
Summary: My one-shot for the 'Epic T-Rated Contest' co-organized by Bronzehairedgirl620 and in the loving memory of Daddy's Little Cannibal. Would being forced to participate in a 'win a valentine' contest do Bella any good?
1. Chapter 1

**Meant to be**

Written for the 'Epic T Rated' Competition, co-organized by Bronzehairedgirl620, and in the loving memory of Daddy's Little Cannibal.

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**RULES:**

**1.** No lemons. Must be rated 'T.'

**2.** Has to have a line or reference to a cannibal.

**3**. Has to have a line or reference to a fireman.

**4**. All canon pairings.

**5**. Has to be a one-shot, but is allowed to be continued once the contest is finished.

**6**. Must copy/paste these rules to the top of your submission. Two entries per person. Collaborations acceptable.

**7**. Must PM Bronzehairedgirl620 to alert me of your entry so we can add your story to the C2 if it fits the requirements.

The contest will run until June 6th, 11:59 MST (Mountain Standard Time.) Submissions need to be posted to FF and must follow the rules above. Have fun with it! We look forward to reading your entries. :)

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**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Twilight, or any of the characters. It all belongs to Stephanie Meyer. I do not own any songs mentioned/ used in this story, either.

(Songs mentioned/ used: Boats and Birds-Gregory and the Hawk; Puzzle of my Heart- Westlife. Iris-goo goo dolls)

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**Summary**: Written for the 'Epic T-Rated Contest' co-organized by Bronzehairedgirl620 and in the loving memory of Daddy's little Cannibal.

Would being forced to enter a 'Win a Valentine' Contest do Bella any good?

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**Author's note**: My entry to the contest is dedicated to Daddy's little Cannibal. Even though I never got to know her personally, it was easy to see that she was a very talented writer and was most passionate about her work. I say that, and mean it, after reading only one of her creations, having heard a lot about Stephanie from Bronzehairedgirl620-beta for my regular story- who was one of the closest friends of Stephanie here on fan fiction. It was easy to see the love and admiration Bronze felt for Stephanie. I offer my most sincere condolences to all who were close to Stephanie.

She would be missed, and remembered. Even though she got taken away from amidst her loved ones so soon, she's achieved something many only dream of- a place in many hearts, and the power to influence others, through her writings alone. She was truly talented.

Rest in Peace, Stephanie.

* * *

The blistering afternoon sun was trickling in through the open window; the scorching rays shining uncomfortably in my eyes. I rolled over out of discomfort, but I was awake now anyway. Thankfully, I felt a little rested. Work and late night studying throughout the week left me very exhausted; it had been a while since I last felt lively. I had been dragging myself around for a while now, and with the end of semester fast approaching, I knew there was no respite.

I stretched and tried to ease my stiffness. I loved Saturdays-my days to make up for a week's worth of sleep deprivation. My table clock showed 12 o'clock in the afternoon. I had slept for about 11 hours.

Good.

My hands groped around the bed-side stand, searching for my cell phone. I needed to check for any missed calls or messages. I couldn't seem to locate my phone, though I distinctly remembered placing it there the previous night. I hurriedly sat up and looked over the stand and the drawers. I couldn't find it anywhere.

Where could the phone be? Maybe Alice knew...

The thought of Alice with my cell phone in the present circumstances wiped all remnants of sleep right out of my system, and I jumped out of my bed.

"Alice." I bellowed."_Alice_!"

"Well, a very pleasant _afternoon_ to you too, Bella," Alice _greeted_, appearing out of the bathroom, a lipstick in her hand.

"Have you seen my cell phone?"

Her sly smile told me all I needed to know.

"Alice, tell me you did not?"I meant my words to convey my displeasure-_anger_, even- but it came out sounding like a strangled plea.

"I _totally_ did," She smugly replied, and pulled my phone out of her back pocket. She placed it on my study table on her right, smirking at me all the while.

My mouth popped open in shock.

"_You. Did. Not_."

"Yes I did, and you know it. Save your breath," She said; the wicked, 'I-got-you' smile still in place.

"Alice, how _could_ you? I told you to just drop it. You're supposed to be my _friend_."

"I _am_ your friend. The very best one, let me tell you, and I did it because I knew that was the right thing to do. I'd never do anything you wouldn't want done."

"Oh_! Right_, because it's my most cherished _dream_ to enter a "win a valentine" contest on the radio," I fumed.

"It _is_, when the valentine in question is RJ Josh. Admit it, you've been crushing on him since the first time you heard him. You know what? It's sort of pathetic; you're a college student, and the first crush you ever have is on someone you've only ever _heard_. Don't go making yourself more miserable by refusing this chance, okay? Since I'm your friend, I'm helping you set things right, even if it means that you _think _I'm forcing you, so help me-"

"Whoa! Wait up!" I exclaimed. I had only just come over the shock of Alice's rant, and had finally found my voice."_ Crushing over him_? Whatever gives you that idea? I just enjoy his show, okay? And it's not like I've never had a crush on anyone."

"Yeah, _right_. You definitely aren't crushing over Josh. '_Oh Alice, really, you must hear him. He has got the best voice ever. So velvety, and soft and sweet, and...Perfect!_'"She quoted me from long back."And what other 'crush' are we talking about? George Clooney?"

"I was merely pointing out the fact that his voice is indeed awesome, okay? That doesn't have to imply that I'm _crushing_ on him. And by the way, George Clooney is one of the most _debonair men_ around here. It's not my fault that you don't see it."

"Oh, really? You enjoy his show is all? What about '_Really Alice, he's so smart, funny and...Sensitive. He brings up the most interesting topics to discuss, and has the absolute best taste in music. __**I wish I could meet him**__.'_ ?" She said, over-emphasizing the last part.

"Oh, and what was that about George Clooney again? 'One of the most debonair men'? Try 'one of the most _white-haired_ men.'"She continued.

"I...that...it..."She got me here, and she knew it. The heat rose up to my cheeks, and a smug smile adorned Alice's face. "George Clooney has got a _presence_, okay? Individuality. His age adds to his grace. He has an aura about him that just screams_ 'grand'_, unlike-"

"Bella, let's just focus on you for a while. Mr. Clooney is happy where he is. Also, let me add, we were talking about 'real life' crushes, because otherwise Jasper would have some _serious_ competition." She chortled.

I slapped my forehead with my palms. I knew it was a mistake to let Alice in on this little secret that I had initially planned on taking to the grave.

It was my first night at the university hostel room. My roommate-which turned out to be Alice-had not arrived by then, leaving me alone, with absolutely nothing to do on a Saturday night. I decided to spend my time, staring out of the window, listening to the radio. That's when I'd stumbled across his show. I was surfing through the channels. I came to a stop when I heard-'Iris' by the goo goo dolls being played on some radio station. I was pleasantly surprised. It had been a while since I'd heard the song. After the song I heard something I liked even better-his voice. RJ Josh. It was...beautiful. It sounded smooth as silk, and it seemed to make my insides melt. It made me tingle all over, and made me smile like a fool. And since then, I religiously followed his show-'Twilight' on Rainbow Raptures FM620. Every Saturday: 9 to 12 pm. I had mastered the art of doing whatever I needed to do while listening to his show.

I waited for Saturday to come, to listen to him speak, and to listen to the wonderful songs he had planned for the week. I was always restless to see what topic he would bring up for that week's show.

Pathetic, I know. And that's exactly why I intended to keep it to myself. But, obviously, I failed in doing so.

It had all happened last Saturday. Alice insisted on a girls' night out, and I insisted on a stay at home night. But, Alice was Alice. She just wouldn't take no for an answer, and I had to finally let her know that I just couldn't afford to miss any minute of my time with my favourite RJ, who played my favourite music. And hence the whole...confession.

Well, I managed to convince Alice to stay at home for the night, but she still wanted her 'girl-bonding' time. We decided to listen to the show together. Too bad for me they chose the same day to come up with this freaking idea of a 'Win a valentine' Contest.

The deal was that you had to text your name over to their radio station, expressing your willingness to be a part of the contest, and then the winner would be selected by the lucky draw system. The lucky one would get to go out with RJ Josh on Valentine's Day.

That had Alice's absolute attention. And for some reason, she thought it would be a great idea for me to enter this contest. I had practically glued my cell to myself this past week, just to make sure that Alice didn't take matters in her own hand. But, I slackened a day too soon.

Contestants had one week to enter the contest. The contest closed at 5pm today.

"Still, the chances are quite slim. Next to nil," I said. It didn't make me feel as good as I thought it would, though." There would be thousands of other girls doing the same. How many did you send?"

"About...hundred."

I gasped.

"Hu-_hundred_?"

"It would be worth it. _Trust_ me," She said, oh-so-surely.

"Alice! 100 damned messages? For _nothing_?"

"_Nothing_? You're finally getting to go out with the one you have a crush on...that's _nothing_?"

"I don't have any crush on him, okay? And I don't work my ass off only so you could waste half of it on pointless messages."

"It surely wouldn't come up to half-"

"Oh, please Alice. What's the point? I'm never going to win this, and even if I do, I'd come across as this....desperate, foolish woman with nothing better to do."

"Of course not. You totally_ would_ win. And you would only come across as the smart, beautiful girl that you are, only if you would give it a chance."

"Oh _yes_. _That's_ what would happen," I said sarcastically.

"Now you're talking sense."

I rolled my eyes at that, and she totally missed that, along with the sarcasm in my statement.

"Well, gotta go. I'll be back in time for the results," She spoke.

"Sure. And you can bring my wedding dress along. I am_ so_ sure this is it."

"Bella, you just think it over, all right? You do want this. You can thank me later. Bye."

I went back to my bed, laid down and sighed deeply. What had I gotten myself into? I had just wasted 100 messages. Even if my aspiring fashion designer roommate liked to think she was always correct, I knew better. And even if I did win it, did I want it?

Delving into the depth of my heart, I knew I wanted to meet him. But, this way? I really would look like such a desperate woman! Or was Alice right in saying that I should '_give it a chance_.'?

If I was to be fully honest to myself, maybe I did have a crush on him-an RJ. Someone I had never even met.

God, _how_ stupid does that sound? Everyone has their quirks, I suppose, or hope.

Listening to him made me happy. I wouldn't want to miss his show for the world. I would laugh out loud at his jokes and funny anecdotes, and was all ears when he said something serious, which he did pretty often-like discouraging drunk driving.

Okay, well, no maybes. I did have a crush on him. And as long as I was being honest, I might as well admit that I'd already decided how I visualized him.

He looked perfect, just like he sounded perfect, just like he came across as a perfect person. He looked just like..._Edward Masen_: Absolutely gorgeous, handsome, smart, intelligent, nice and an out-of-bounds senior.

This definitely was the _height _of pathetic. I covered my face with my pillow, as if it would lessen my embarrassment. Well, this was my idea of a dream date. RJ Josh meets university senior Edward Masen.

I distinctly remembered my first encounter with Edward. It was the first day that we formally began studies at university. Me and a friend of mine, Angela, were running late, and found ourselves running across the sports ground to reach the class faster. Being the klutz that I was, I stumbled and began falling. I clenched my eyes and waited for the impact to come; only it never did. Instead, I found myself in somebody's arms, an absolutely gorgeous guy's arms.

He had the most striking, dazzling emerald green eyes, and a wild disarray of bronze mess for hair. His features were perfect. Ideal cheekbones, chiseled, most prominent jaws, and lips...lips that were upturned in the most gorgeously crooked manner; that snapped me back into reality.

I rushed away like a bat out of hell. All I heard from him was a faint whisper of a chuckle.

And that was that.

I made an absolute fool of myself in front of the most stunning man to ever grace the earth.

All he would ever be was a dream date. Give this drop dead gorgeous man the personality of RJ Josh-and that would make the perfect guy.

Well, a girl can dream. And Alice was never finding out about this. This was me in my cloud-cuckoo-land; this wasn't meant for anyone to ever find out.

I really _should_ grow up.

A phone call interrupted my self-probing, and I was most grateful for it. I really couldn't handle any more sulking on my wretchedness.

It was from work, and it was most welcome at this point. Even if it meant another afternoon around Mike.

I grabbed a quick bite and left for work.

* * *

"Late much?" Alice questioned as soon as I entered our room.

"Went to Starbucks, _mom,"_ I replied dryly.

"Bella needs her restoratives Alice, especially after a tedious day."

My head snapped in the direction of the new sound.

"Rosalie?"

"In flesh," She replied.

"Hey!"

"Hi."

"I thought you were out for two weeks with your group over the project."

"We wound it up early, and are now back here for the report making with our project head. The Timings, I must say, couldn't have been better." She smirked

"You _told her_, didn't you, Alice?"

"What do mean '_told her'_? You think it's in Alice's nature to wait up till the last day? You tell _her_, Alice. You can't eat away_ my_ credit."

Realization dawned on me.

"You two ganged up on me! Some friends you are."

"Yeah, well, it really was Rose's idea to wait till the later dates, so that you fall into a _'fall sense of security'_, and I got to say, it worked. I send 100 messages as you snored," Alice said.

"_100 messages?_ You go girl!" Rosalie laughed.

"I. Don't. Snore."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. My bad. You sleep talk."

And they cracked up at that. It wasn't even funny.

"That must be our order." Alice informed as someone knocked on our door.

"I'll go tune the radio on the stereo," Rosalie said.

I sighed heavily and sat on one of the three rugs Alice had placed on the floor.

"And we're all set." Alice announced happily, as she placed the food and the dishes between us.

"I'm done here." Rosalie called after setting the frequency. She rushed to her place next to me, remote in hand, a happy smile on her face.

I groaned.

"Eat up, guys. It's almost nine now. " Alice urged, stuffing the noodles in her mouth in the most hurried fashion.

And then the all too familiar filler music sounded. This marked the start of his show-Twilight!

It was time!

I stiffened.

'_Hello and welcome to Twilight. You're with me-RJ Josh- this wonderful Saturday night...'_

"He sounds sexy for sure." Rosalie spoke, looking at Alice with an expression of approval.

"Shush."I hushed her.

Rosalie nudged me and mouthed an '_Oooohhhh_' while Alice burst out in silent giggles.

"And what were you on about in the morning, Bella?" Alice whispered, smiling smugly.

Okay, _okay_. I admit. I _want_ this date.

But Alice needn't know that.

'_And now's the time to announce the name of the lady I get the privilege to take out this Valentine's Day. That's right people, the winner of our 'Win a Valentine' Contest...and the name-'_

All three of us were clutching each other's hands. Rose and Alice had entwined their fingers with mine in a vice like grip, and I was sure I'd end up with numb fingers when they decided to release it.

'_and_ _the name...would be announced after this song_.' He said, with a soft chuckle at the end.

"No!" Rose and Alice declared their displeasure at the same time.

I was, most ardently, hoping for the name to be mine. I had never wished for Alice's predictions to come true more than I did now, at this moment.

I only faintly registered the song that he played. All three of us held onto each other's hands like they were our lifeline.

'_And I'm back. Missed me?_'

"Oh yes." Rosalie and Alice whispered.

'_Well then, without further ado...I give you the winner of this contest...and the girl of the moment is_....'

The heart was ready to jump out of my throat, and the only sound apart from Josh's was that of our hearts hammering against our chests.

'_Isabella'_

Silence. Pin drop silence. And...

"_Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa"_

"_Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee"_

Next thing I knew I was flat on my back with Alice and Rosalie on top of me.

"_I told you. I told you. .you."_

"_Oh my god...Bella has a date. Bella has a date!!"_

After a few seconds the reality fully sank in, and I joined in the cheering, and hugged them back with all my might.

'_...and thanks to each one of you ladies who participated-I'm truly, most flattered. Looking forward to seeing you soon, Isabella. I'll talk to you on the flipside of this next song '_

Silence again.

"He's gonna call,"I whispered.

"_Oh my god. He's gonna call."_

"_He's about to call. He's about to call."_

And that's when the phone rang.

"_Aaaaaaaaaa. He called. He called. He called_."Alice was jumping up and down.

"Where's the damn phone?" Rosalie was rummaging around wildly.

I was stiff as a board.

"Her pocket. Her pocket." Alice figured. She rolled me to my side and extracted the handset from my back pocket.

"Hello?"Alice spoke, in a high pitched squeak.

"Oh no, it's her friend. Just a sec, I'll put her on the phone," She said, and thrust the piece in my hand.

"Speak, speak," Rosalie sharply whispered.

"H-Hello?"

"Hello, Miss Isabella?"

"Yes."

"It's Carmen. I'm calling from Rainbow Raptures FM620. Congratulations, you've won the 'Win a valentine' contest. "

"Thanks."

"You're being sent on a Valentine's Day date with our RJ Josh. I'd call you with the details of the date later but right after this song, you're gonna be on air with Josh, okay?"

"Ye-yeah." I stuttered.

" Cool. Now, would you please remain online with us a little longer? You should speak only when Josh addresses you on the other end, Okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

"Great."

And with that, I waited. My hands were shaking and I was anxious. I could hear a song coming to its end in the background.

'_Welcome back, guys. That was Gregory and the Hawk with Boats and Birds, and now people; I have with me, Isabella, my valentine.'_

"_Hello, Isabella?"_

"Hey, Josh."

Rosalie and Alice, who were glued to the radios on their phones, gasped audibly. I couldn't help but smile.

"_So, no cold feet yet?"_

"Sorry to douse your hopes, but nope, not happening," I said, surprising even myself.

He chuckled, while Rose's and Alice's eyes widened in disbelief.

"_I'm glad to know that. So, is there any song I could play for you?"_

"Um, could you play 'Iris' by goo goo dolls please?"

This was the first song I heard at his show, so it made sense for me ask for it.

"_Oh. I like this one too. Any particular reason for this request?"_

"Yes," I said, and that's all I said. He chuckled again.

"_Well, okay then, Isabella, I'll see you soon."_

"Counting the seconds," I said, shocking myself and the girls again.

I heard his heavenly chuckle again; a sound that was fast becoming my favourite noise in the world.

"_Well then, you have a lot of math to do,'_"He joked. _"Take care. Your request coming right up."_

"Thanks, Bye."

"_Bye."_

And the 'Aaaaaa....s' and 'Eeeee....s' took over.

* * *

I was already in place at the restaurant Carmen informed me about. I was seated at the table that they'd booked under Josh's name and mine.

I breathed deeply and slowly, trying to remain calm.

Rosalie and Alice had dressed me up for today. Rosalie had then left for her day with Emmett, and Alice had dropped me off here. She wouldn't let me take my truck. _'I'd gift you to cannibals before I let you drive that junk to your first date.' _she'd said.

Unfortunately, Alice couldn't be with Jasper this Valentine's Day. Jasper couldn't get a day off from his army training. He'd already send over his gift and a huge bouquet of roses early this morning, and with it a letter so romantic, it almost made Alice cry. I didn't know anyone who could handle long distance better than these two.

I glanced at my watch. He still had 5 minutes to be here on time. I was way too early. God, I really did look desperate. This whole idea was stupid. He'd probably think I'm an immature idiot who couldn't find a real person to go out with and that I had nothing better to do than to 'participate' in contests where I'd 'win' a date.

God, what was I doing agreeing to this stupidity?

I closed my eyes with my palms and prayed to the gods above for some piece of mind. This whole bizarre Valentine's Day 'date' was driving me crazy.

"Isabella?"I heard Josh speak.

I jumped about a foot in the air at the very familiar sound; I stood up, and almost had a heart attack. If the familiarity of the sound made me jump a foot, the familiarity of the face should have taken me to the moon.

Yet, here I was, almost glued to the spot, staring at the emerald green eyes, perfect

features and bronze mess of hair of none other than Edward Masen, or should I say, RJ Josh.

Edward aka Josh stood there with a red coloured box of chocolates in his hands and a very surprised expression on his blessed face.

"_Edward?"_

"_Bella?"_

We spoke each other's name at the same time.

He even knew I existed? I might just die of happiness.

"You know my name?" We spoke together, again.

We both chuckled.

"Well, these are for you, _Isabella_," He said, handing me the chocolates, grinning slightly.

"Thanks, _Josh_." I beamed at him, as my heart swelled.

He snorted softly.

"Please, take your seat," He said, holding my chair for me. I thanked him as I sat.

I suppose my brain was yet to catch up with what was going on around here. My idea of a dream guy actually, really existed and was my valentine. It definitely hadn't sunk in yet.

He sat across me, and we just looked at each other for a while. I didn't know what to say, and it seemed he didn't either.

"You look great, _Bella_."

"Right back at you, _Edward_." I smiled. It was a funny game.

"You seem to know me, _Bella_." He observed, and I blushed.

"As do you,_ Edward_." I grinned at him.

"Touché." He smiled that crooked smile that made my heart flutter.

"Well then,_ Isabella_, tell me why you decided to try for this date?"

"Well, _Josh_-"He grinned wider at my emphasis"-it's actually all my friends' doing."

Maybe I was wrong, but I think his grin faltered, just a wee bit.

"My friends thought it was a good idea for me to get to know my favourite RJ better, and so, here I sit, thanking my lucky stars to go with my friends' idea."

I think his eyes just twinkled.

"What about you, _Josh_?"

"What about me,_ Isabella_?"

"Why did you comply with this contest thing?"

"Long story." He sighed.

"We have time." I pressed.

"Well," He grinned."that we do." He sighed deeply and continued." I wasn't exactly thrilled at this idea initially, but Kate, my producer, knows how to work me. Of all the male RJs, she was hell bent on choosing me; because she believed I'd bring in more contestants than others, even though Jacob expressed a lot of interest-"

"Jacob?"

"You'd know him as RJ Blaze."

"Oh." I'd heard him on the radio once. He sounded nice...but, well..." Your producer was right," I spoke before I could help it.

"Was she now?" He said, smirking.

"I, I mean, sure he's popular and all, but you-well, you-you're, well, people have preferences."I stuttered. I was sure I was the deepest shade of red by now. I could feel the heat burning my cheeks. He kept smiling impishly.

"You could have refused though, right?" I urged him to continue speaking before I embarrassed myself anymore.

"I could have, at the risk of annoying her, and an annoyed Kate? No, thank you. Besides, it was either this, or she'd have told Tanya I was interested in taking her out." He rolled his eyes, and chuckled.

I didn't find it anywhere near funny.

"Who's Tanya?"

"She's a fellow RJ." He told me."She's a nice person, but I'd be happier if she'd just accept that we're just good friends."

Okay, this was better. I did giggle.

"I'm glad Kate insisted that I go." He spoke suddenly.

I looked up at him. His eyes were still playful, yet sincere. I blushed again.

"Ready?" He said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"To order?" He clarified, nodding at the waitress, who seemed to have eyes only for him.

"Oh." I blushed again. Way to go. "Yeah," I said, hurriedly going through the menu to come across any dish that sounded appropriate.

He gestured for the waitress to attend to me first; she didn't seem to like that very much.

"I'd have a coke, and...Mushroom ravioli." I ordered the first dish on the menu.

"Bring me the same, please."

I noticed he hadn't even opened his menu card. That made me smile.

The waitress appeared with our drinks. She gave Josh, I mean Edward...ugh, forget it...She gave him an extra sweet smile, and that didn't seem to go down well with me. Of course it wouldn't. I was on my dream date here, and she was trying to hog all the attention.

I downed my coke in one big, huge gulp_. How lady like_.

"Can we get two more cokes, please?" He asked the waitress, who seemed to be trying not to pass out.

"Sure, of course. _Any_thing else?" She spoke, while batting her eyes in a cheesy fashion.

"No, thank you," He said, too politely for my liking.

"That colour blue suits you."He suddenly commented, gesturing at the dress I wore.

I felt elated on hearing him say that, and a goofy grin made its way on my face, as the heat rose up my cheeks.

"Thanks. Rosalie got me this dress for Christmas."

"Rosalie Hale? The one in our university?"

I nodded.

"I heard she got placed during the in-campus interview in her third year itself."

"Yeah," I said pompously, proud of my friend's achievement. "She's a genius, and she's so gorgeous too. She's really good. She's the most protective and caring person once you get to know her. She just takes longer to open up to people. She's a little hot tempered; good thing Emmett's a fireman."

I laughed at my own silly joke, while he looked confused.

"Emmett's her boyfriend." I told him.

"Oh," He said, and chuckled, whether at the joke or the pathetic attempt, I didn't know.

"Alice is just the opposite. She's frisky and way too friendly. Her sane side rests with her boyfriend. Thank god for Jasper."

He smiled sweetly.

"Alice aspires to be a fashion designer someday, and I'm sure she'd make it, big time. Jasper's training for the army. Alice is amazingly supportive, though of course it's hard for both of them to be away for such long periods of time."

He kept listening intently, and that's when I realized that I wasn't giving him any chance to do anymore than to listen to me.

"Oh, I must be boring you. I'm so-"

"No, no, you're not boring me. It's nice to know more about you and your friends, really" He smiled.

"Here's your order."Our waitress announced.

She placed the dishes and left after many flirtatious glances at Edward.

"So, you tell me something about yourself." I prompted him to speak.

"Well, I'm a med student-fourth year. I'm from Chicago. Only son to my parents. RJ-ing is a very dear hobby of mine and also my part-time job. I've been doing it since I joined university. Now, what about you?"

And with that I launched into my story. We spent our time talking about this and that. I hadn't even realized when we slipped from Isabella and Josh to Bella and Edward. I was really enjoying myself.

"Your check, sir." Our waitress again.

"Oh, yeah. Thanks."

He paid for the date, and soon we were on our way out of the restaurant. I was sad that the date had come to an end already. I didn't know how Edward felt about this, but I had a wonderful time today. If I had a crush on him before, these few hours definitely magnified the feeling to something much larger.

I wondered if he'd ever want to meet me again, and then a matter that demanded my more urgent attention cropped up. How the heck was I going back?

Alice had dropped me here, and in my nervousness, I'd totally overlooked the fact that I'd need a ride back home.

"Um, Bella?"

"Yes, Edward?"

"I know it was just lunch, but would you like to spend some more time with me? There was this place I wanted to take you to. You don't have to go if you don't want to,"He said nervously.

My heart was swelling, and threatening to burst right out. The air was hard to breathe.

"I'd love to."I squeaked.

"Great."He sighed, in relief it seemed, making me smile. He grinned back shyly.

"Shall we take my car?"

"We'll have to. I haven't brought mine."

"That works for me. I'll drop you home later."He offered, sounding pleased.

"That'd be very nice. Thanks,"I said gratefully, thanking my lucky stars, and Alice, for the extra time with Edward.

He held my door for me as I sat, like the perfect gentleman that he was.

We continued our game of 20 questions. We kept asking each other trivial questions; I found myself speaking more than I ever did. We discussed books, music, studies, aspirations...everything that could be talked about and I found myself totally at ease around him. We laughed at the silliest things, and I was dying to hear him laugh again, the sound sweeter than that of the wind-chimes. I loved being with him.

He stopped his car near a forest like area.

"There's a meadow nearby. I go there now and then. I thought maybe you'd like to go there," He said, nervous again.

"Sounds good." I smiled, trying to fight the butterflies flooding my throat.

We began our walk. It was a long, long path. I wondered how Edward came across this place. I was thankful that Alice had let me wear flats today; a very non-Alice thing to do.

"We're almost there,"He spoke, and my curiosity peaked. The trees were fewer now. Soon we reached a clearing, the most beautiful clearing if I ever saw one.

"Beautiful." I murmured my thoughts.

"Yes," He agreed. I looked at him, expecting to find him seeing the meadow, instead I found him looking at me, adoringly, making my heart skip a beat.

I hadn't realized when during the hike we ended up holding hands, but suddenly I was blissfully aware of his hands entwined with mine. It was the best feeling in the world and made my heart soar.

Maybe Edward was thinking of the same thing. He gently squeezed my hands and gave me a shy smile.

We both lay down next to each other. The grass was dry and inviting; it felt good.

The sun was shining through the trees, illuminating the meadow in a pleasantly warm, faint and peaceful glow.

"I knew you since the day you bumped into me." Edward suddenly spoke, very softly.

I looked up at him, and found him looking at me intently; shyly, but determinedly.

I knew what he was talking about. He was telling me how he knew me. I blushed at the memory.

"You remember?" He asked in a voice barely more than a whisper.

"Of course," I said, just as softly. Like I'd ever forget; it was embedded in my mind.

"I was jogging by when I first saw you. You were running towards the building." He chuckled at the memory.

"You could barely run. You kept stumbling all the way."

He chortled merrily as I blushed.

He rolled over on his side, facing me, and stroked my flaming cheeks with the back of his hands.

"You had me worried, and I jogged towards the direction you were going to, trying to be inconspicuous about it."He reminisced.

"I heard your friend call out your name just as you began falling. I made it there just in time. You fell right into my arms," He whispered.

My cheeks could have been on fire, with the heat I felt.

"I love it when you do that," He said.

"Do what?" I questioned, my mind reeling with the knowledge that he loved something about me.

"Blush that shade of red," He said. "You might have invented a new colour."

And I blushed again, making him chuckle and resume the stroking of my cheeks.

"You ran away then, leaving me rooted to the spot. I had seen you rush to the English department, so I went through the timetables pinned on the notice-board and that helped me find out that you were a fresher doing a course in Journalism. I convinced myself that it was only curiosity, nothing else, but then, I always ended up spending my free Monday mornings watching you walk up to the Journalism department, and back," He confided, somewhat nervous.

"You saw me every Monday?"I found myself asking him.

"To the English department and back,"He nodded. "Never beyond that, though. That would have been too stalker-like."He rushed to add, chuckling nervously, looking away from me.

My heart was beating erratically. All this new found...information had me all wobbly.

_This is a dream;this is all just a dream_. I found myself deducing. Why else would _Edward Masen_ be saying these things to _me_? Why else would he _be_ here with me?

I might as well live it as long as it lasts...

"I asked Angela and Ben about you," I blurted out.

His head snapped back at me, and I lowered mine.

His fingers found my chin and lifted my head back up, making me look at him.

His eyes were twinkling brilliantly.

"Ben's Angela's boyfriend, and we three have lunch together. Angela mentioned my bumping into you, she knew you were Masen, it was at the back of your shirt and Ben said he knew you. He's a medical student too. He told us about you," I said.

"I asked Rosalie about you in passing. I had to be careful, had she figured I was remotely interested in you she'd have, quite literally, thrown me in your lap, " I blurted; his presence, apparently, made it impossible for me think things through before I opended my trap.

"I wouldn't have minded." He chuckled.

"As if you'd have been interested in an ordinary girl like myself," I said, putting forward the truth. Curious, as to why he was still with me, now that the obligatory date was over.

He looked...surprised.

"You don't see yourself clearly, do you?" He said, trailing his fingers from my cheekbones to my jaws, sending shivers down my body. "You are beautiful Bella, and far from ordinary. I don't know how to say it better than this, but you're beautiful, inside out."

I was tempted to point out just how wrong he was. _He_ was the one who couldn't see me clearly. Yet, selfishly, I settled for keeping quiet and focusing on the enchanting sensation of his fingers on my face. It seemed to send electric jolts down my body, in a very desirable manner, making me want to move closer still.

We didn't say anything for a while.; just stayed the way we were. He brought our tangled fingers up to his face and placed a gentle kiss on my knuckles, making me tingle all over.

"It's getting late. I should take you back to your place," He said, sounding just as sad as I felt.

"Twilight." I murmured, smiling softly, remembering that this was the name of his show too. Thinking of his show made me feel like I was being pulled back into reality. My time with him was over. This beautiful _trance _was over. I felt sad.

"No matter how perfect the day is, it has to come to an end," He said, echoing my thoughts.

I didn't like listening to the pessimism in his voice.

"Some things don't have to end," I said, almost desperately.

He looked at me and smiled. "They don't."He agreed, and then we began making our way back to his car.

The walk back seemed to take no time at all. We were back to his Volvo in no time at all.

The confinements of his car seemed to intensify what I was already feeling.

There _was _something special between us, something very special. Already realized, but waiting to be accepted, responded to, openly.

The drive back to the university dormitory didn't take much time either.

I didn't want to get out of his car at all. It hurt to think that our time together was up.

He opened his door, and I took it as a cue for me to get out. I had barely begun opening my door when I found him coming over to open it for me.

He helped me out of the car and shut his door.

He sighed deeply, as I bit my lower lip, not sure of what to say now.

At the meadow, things seemed to look up. I'd thought that maybe, _maybe_ he liked me the way I liked him. But here we were, back at the dormitory. We hadn't spoken during our ride back. He hadn't said anything about where we stood now.

Maybe this was all. It was a date where he _had_ to go, and it was over now. Even though it would make perfect sense for _him_ to end this here and now, a part of me still didn't want to believe it. After all that happened during our day together, and all that he'd said, this _couldn't_ be it.

I looked at him, and found him staring, glaring, at nothing in particular. He looked frustrated as he kept glowering at the direction of his car.

Maybe he was frustrated at how I simply refused to move from my spot. Maybe he wanted me gone so he could go back to doing whatever he wanted to do. Maybe, this really _was_ all there ever would be.

"I...I should go...inside." I stuttered, fighting back tears. I knew I wouldn't be able to hold them for long, and so I began to hurry away from him.

Suddenly his hands enclosed my wrists, and he pulled me back.

I stumbled my way back and came to a halt as my back softly hit his car. He looked at me, his eyes all confused and anxious.

"Bella, wait, please. I..." he began, his voice unsure.

I hated seeing him like this. I held his hands in mine before I could help myself.

"Edward?"

I squeezed his hand softly, to let him know it was okay.

He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. He looked a little...nervous? I was anxious to know what was going on.

"Edward, what's it?" I asked.

A light red tinge coloured his cheeks.

"Don't I get a kiss?"He spoke, bringing his hands to rest on his car, on either side of my head.

I'm pretty sure I gasped audibly. An electric jolt ran through me at his words. My mind went in a daze. Incoherent thoughts were rushing through it.

"Breathe, Bella," He whispered, chuckling very softly, before he began leaning down.

I closed my eyes in anticipation, my hands pressing against his car. He touched my lips with his. It was a quick, chaste kiss, and yet, it filled my senses with euphoria unknown to me before now.

He pressed his lips to mine again, and I felt his hands on my waist. This one was a little more lingering, making my toes curl up. My heart sang in exhilaration.

He kissed me softly for a third time and began to move away, when I surprised us both.

My hands wrapped themselves around his neck to prevent him from retreating and I initiated our fourth kiss. I stood on my toes and pressed my lips against his as I leaned on him.

He returned the kiss, with more fervour than earlier. His hands that were earlier holding my waist were now wrapped around me, pulling me closer to him.

The feeling was indescribable. This was heaven, if there ever was one. Bliss, paradise...no words could cover exactly how delightful it was. My hands found their way to his hair and I messed it up some more, as his hands knotted in mine, locking me to him. I could have stayed there forever; I wanted to stay like this forever, but I had to pull away, way too soon, to catch my breath.

I found myself breathing very heavily, almost panting, embarrassingly so. I was dizzy from our kiss. The thought of it made me smile. I chuckled, resting my head on his chest. I was a little embarrassed at my forwardness, but I couldn't help it. I was on cloud nine when he kissed me, and I suppose I wasn't myself after that.

He softly kissed my hair. One of his hands maintained his hold on me, while his other hand began stroking my arms, and I could tell he was smiling as he kissed my forehead.

We remained like this for a while, holding each other, savouring the moment, hoping for it to never end.

"You were saying something."I reminded him after a while, still leaning on him, taking in his soothing, yet intoxicating aroma.

"You'll find out,"He murmured, planting soft kisses on my forehead and hair.

I looked up at him questioningly, curiously.

"Patience, Bella," He said and kissed my nose softly.

I sighed, and nodded my head.

"I should get going now," He said, sounding sad.

I didn't want him to leave yet, or ever.

"Why don't you come inside?" I asked him.

"I need to go to the studio. I've to attend Tanya's show."

"_Tanya's_ show?" I said with distaste. I already had competition.

He chuckled.

"You're cute when you're jealous, but there's no need for you to feel so. I prefer brunettes," He whispered.

"Why are you gonna be on her show?" I asked.

"You'll see,"He said.

"Okay." I nodded.

"Would it be okay if I came to accompany you to your class tomorrow morning?"He asked.

"I'd love that,"I said, chuckling.

"See you tomorrow morning then. Goodnight." He sighed, kissing me softly one last time before he left.

"Goodnight," I said. "Happy Valentine's Day." I whispered.

"Happy Valentine's Day to you, too." He chuckled.

"I'll see you soon," He said, more to himself than to me. "Bye."

"Bye," I whispered back, and watched as he drove away.

I sighed and made my way to the dorm, still in a trance.

Before I knew it the lift was on the fifth floor. I trudged to our room.

The door opened even before I had found my key and Alice and Rosalie rushed out, hugging me like there was no tomorrow.

"_We saw that! We saw that!"_Alice sang, clutching me tightly. "_I told you it'd be great._"

"Edward Masen! Who would have thought?"Rosalie exclaimed.

I could hear Emmett's booming laughter in the background.

"Let the girl breathe," Jasper said, appearing at the door.

"_Jasper_!" I ran over to him and hugged him. I was seeing him after 4 months. "How come you're here? They gave you a day off?"

"Of course not, silly girl."He laughed.

"How did you manage it?" I asked in surprise, looking from Jasper to Alice, who was gazing at Jasper lovingly.

"Today, we only had morning trainings, and I just couldn't stand being away from Alice. So I drove down here. I only just reached an hour ago. The first time I ever surprised Alice," Jasper said.

"I was in my sweats!" Alice complained, pouting a bit.

"What about your morning training for tomorrow?" I asked.

"I'll have to attend that. I was just waiting to see you before I left. Alice told me it was a lunch date. Quite some lunch you had."He teased, making me blush.

"Jasper, you'd be driving almost _all night_!" I exclaimed.

"It's all more than worth it," He said, looking at Alice with pure love. She looked like she was on the verge of crying.

Jazz went over and hugged her close, kissing her spiky head. They were truly unique. How many guys would drive 18 hours, sacrificing their night's sleep only to spend an hour with their loved one?

"Congrats, Bella. So, you finally kissed a guy,"Emmett spoke.

I blushed.

"How was it?"He asked.

"_Emmett_!"I gasped.

"I meant the _date_, Bella. Not my fault you're still thinking about the kiss." He teased.

I stuck my tongue out at him, just as I received a message.

I opened my cell phone to find a message from Edward.

'_**Tune in to Tanya's show, Bella.**_

_**Miss you, already**_

_**-Edward'**_

I rushed to my bed side drawer and withdrew the headphones. I ran towards the door, planning to go to the roof. I wanted to listen to whatever it was, alone.

"We're not done yet Bella." Rosalie rushed forward to stop me.

"Later, later, later," I sang and hurried out of her reach. I didn't stop before I reached my destination.

I plugged the earphones to my ears and tuned to the radio station on the radio on my cell-phone.

'_And now we have with us RJ Josh...'_Tanya spoke. I had to admit, however grudgingly, she had a sweet voice.

'_Hello people._' Edward spoke.

It was amazing, how this man was a stranger the last time I heard him on the radio, and now...

'_So Josh, I take it you went on a date with the winner of our 'Win a Valentine' Contest-Isabella' _

'_Yes, most amazingly, that lucky guy was me_.' He said, making my insides melt.

Who would have ever believed this would happen. I'd actually find my dream guy, and he'd actually want to be with me.

'_How was the date?_' She asked.

'_Couldn't have been better.'_ He said, making me want to fly.

'_That's fantastic. How was the lucky girl?_' She asked; did I imagine the disappointment in her voice?

'_Words won't ever do her justice. She's better than I could ever have dreamed the perfect girl to be. She's...unbelievable, indescribable and I do mean it. She's...amazing, most beautiful, most astounding woman I've ever come across.'_

A happy tear ran down my cheek as I took in what he'd said. The sincerity in his voice almost made me believe it all. It was too much, too good to be true. I had never done anything to deserve this, to deserve him...

'_Boy! I am jealous.'_ Tanya laughed, though it sounded strained, forced.

Edward chuckled along softly, politely.

'_Anything you want to say to her, just in case she's listening in?_' Tanya asked.

He sighed _'I tried once, but it seems words fail me when it's her. I wish to dedicate this song to her, hoping this would tell her what I couldn't.'_

'_Your request coming right up, Josh. And to the lucky girl who seems to have captured our Josh's heart here, just one advice- Don't let go.'_

'_This one is for you, love.' _

It's the way she fills my senses

It's the perfume that she wears

I feel I'm losing my defences

To the colour of her hair

And every little piece of her is right

Just thinking about her

Takes me through the night

Every time we meet

The picture is complete

Every time we touch

The feeling is too much

She's all I ever need

To fall in love

I knew it from the very start

She's the puzzle of my heart

It's the way she's always smiling

That makes me think she never cries

I feel I'm losing my defences

To the colour of her eyes

And every little piece of her is right

Like a miracle she's meant to be

She became the light inside of me

And I can feel her like a memory

From long... ago

Every time we meet

The picture is complete

Every time we touch

The feeling is too much

Every time we meet

The picture is complete

Every time we touch

The feeling is too much

She's all I ever need

To fall in love

I knew it from the very start

She's the puzzle of my heart

* * *

**Author's Note:**

This is my first entry to the 'Epic T-Rated Contest'. I Hope you liked it. I'm a newbie around here, a newbie to writing in general, so your feedbacks are most sought after. Please, do drop in a line or two about my story, anything you want to. I'd appreciate it a lot; and remember to be back and vote for the story if you feel its deserving. :)

Also, I'm sure many of you didn't like the name-Josh- for Edward. Well, seriously speaking, I'm not entirely satisfied with it either. But the truth is that it's impossible to name Edward anything else but Edward. Trust me, I spent ages trying to think up the perfect name, but I came up with nothing that sounded perfect. But I needed a pseudo-name for Edward as most RJs use pseudo-names and it had to be that way for this story to work. Hopefully you aren't too mad.

**Please, Do Review.**

Any suggestions, complaints, advices are most welcome.


	2. VOTING

VOTING

Hey there!

Well, first of all, thank you so much for reading this story, and to those who showed their love for it in the form of reviews and favorites-an extra special thank-you! I'm eternally grateful.

The voting details are out-

The voting will take place in the form of a poll on Bronzehairedgirl620's profile.

You can find her on my favorite authors.

The specifics are as follows:

The voting will take place in three stages-

_Round one_: June 22nd-26th. All stories will be included.

_Round two_: June 29th-July 3rd. The top 30-40 stories (half) from round one will be included.

_Round three_: July 6th-10th. The top 20-30 stories (half) from the second round will be included. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will be determined.

I urge you all to go vote for your favorites…each and every vote matters.

Check out the other entries in the community. You will find a link on Bronze's profile, under communities.

There's an amazing amount of talent out there.

Well, that's all for now…a huge thank-you to all those who reviewed, again. Lots of love…


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